Sulphur-burning process



Patented May 14, 1929.

UNITED STATES y PATENT- oFFICE.

JOHN C. :BoEETLEnL or CLEVELAND, omo, AssraNoB., EY MEs'NE ASSIGNMENTS, 'ro THE GEAssELLr CHEMICAL COMPANY, or CLEVELAND, omo, A. CoEroaAnoN or s DELAWAEE.

SULPHUB-BUBNING PROCESS.

Application led October 4, 1924. Serial No. 741,670...

This invention is based upon the idea of using sulphur as fuel for the operation of 1nternal combustion engines, particularly those of the so-called Diesel type, or stated differently, the invention is based upon the idea. of using internal combustion engines as sulphur burners for the production of SO2- containing gases adapted for use in the manufacture of sulphuric acid Vby the contact or chamber process or for other known purposes. It is not feasible of course to use sulphur simply as afuel for internal combustion engines discharging the combustion gases into the atmosphere as is customary when using other fuels suchas hydrocarbon oil, and the process therefore logically must be'regarded as a prol cess of burnlng sulphur andthe use of an internal combustion engine for that purpose, the power so developed being regarded as a by-product. A

Sulphur is particularly adapted fori use asvfuel in liquid form in an internal combustion engine pf the Diesel type in which, as is well known, a charge of air is compressed in the engine cylinder and a charge of liquid fue] injected into the highly compressed and hyated air, and e invention will be descrlbed and illustrated in this connection.

In burning sulphur as fuel in an internal combustion engine it is desirable to use dry materials in order to prevent undue corro- Vsion of the metallic parts of the engine with which the hot gases come into contact. This feature in the operation of the engine with sulphur as fuel also is of value in the use of the gases, particularly in the manufacture of sulphuric acid by the contact process in that, as has been found, dry gases may be passed directly to the contact apparatus after dry filtering if necessary or desirable to remove dust Without the customary cooling, purification for the removal of sulphuric acid mist and other impurities and reheating to A the converter temperature. A, feature of my invention therefore is the pre-drying of the air supply to an internal combustion engine operating upon sulphur fuel in connection with Vthe use of the gases in the contact sulphuric acid process.

To prepare the SO2-containing gases produced in the internal combustion engine for use in the manufacture of sulphuric acid by the Glens Fal forming the top of the combli the chamber proc'ess and'other processes involving the chemical principles of the chamber process such as the so-called tower and spray systems, etc., my invention contemplates the introduction into the gases of oxidlzers or oxygen carriers such as ozone, oxides of nitrogen, etc. Such agents may be introduced into the exhaust gases leaving the engine or they' maybe introduced into the engine along with the air or sulphur supply and thus assist the combustion ,therein in addition to assisting the completion of the oxidation ofthe sulphur dioxid to the trioxid in the sulphuric acid forming apparatus.

'Ihe gases leaving the en 'ne may and usually do carryfwith them un urned sulphur and for th mental sulphur I prefer to pass the gases from, the engine into a combustion chamber of the usual type employed in connection with elemental su phur burners of, for instance,

s type.

As stated above, the sulphur is su plied to the engine in liquid form and therefdre must be heated and melted. For this purpose a pgrt of the heat of the combustion gases may' employed in any suitable manner, for instance by passing the hot gases in heat transfer relation to a sulphur melting pot. The sulphur meltin pot may be mounted so as to be heated by t 'e gases exhausted from the engine before they arrive at the combustion chamber or after they leave the combustion chamber or the melting pot and combustion chamber may be combined for instance by set'- ting the melting pot into an opening in the top .wall of the combustion chamber or by s stion chamber as a receptacle for the sulphur to be melted. The gases leaving the combustion chamber or the sulphur melting device in case the latter is positioned after the combustion chamber, pass to a sulphuric acid plant or other apparatus in which SO2-containing gases are employed. f

e purpose of removing such ele- To facilitate the clear understanding of my converter.

The engine, A, is supplied with moltensul-- C .a sulphur melting device and D a contactsupplied with air into which may be injected as indicated an oxidizing agent, rovided the SO2-containing gas is to be -used or the manufacture of sulphuric acid by` some process other than the so-called contact process. The oxidizing agent in such cases may also be i11- jected into the gases leaving the engine and passing into the combustion chamber or into the gases leavin the combustion chamber, all as indicated. n case the gases are used to supply a contact process, no' oxidizing agents would be needed. From the combustion chamber the gases pass to the converter inthe case of contact process, or to the Glover tower 'in case of a chamber process or tower process.

However, between the combustion chamber and the converter, the gases may be cooled or heated as necessary to bring them to the proper temperature and may b exiiltered or otherwise purified in accordance with known procedure, the necessity for the latter steps depending upon the purity of the sulphur used.

It is to be understood that my invention and the patent protection asked are not limited to the specific procedure or arrangement of apparatus described by way of illustration, excepting as may be required by the appended claims.

1. Process of producing SO2-containing gas and generating power which comprises supplying elemental sulphur as fuel in the operation of an internal combustion engine.

2. Process of producing SO2-containing gas and generating power which comprises injecting molten elemental sulphur into the combustion chamber of an operating internal combustion engine.

3. Process of producing SO2-containing l gas and generating power which comprises supplying an internal combustion engine with a combustible mixture of dry air and elemental sulphur.

4. Process of producing SO2-containing gas and generating power which comprisesv drying atmospheric air and supplying the same to the intake of an internal combustion engine, and injecting molten sulphur into the combustion chamber thereof.

5. Process of producing SO2-containing gas and generating power which comprises operating an internal combustion engine with molten elemental sulphur as fuel, and using the heat of the exhaust gases from the ellilgine to melt the supplyl of elemental sulp ur. I'

6. In a process for the manufacture of sul- 8. The process of producing oxides of sull phur which comprises introducing the sulphur and a combustion supporting gas into the cylinder of an interna-l combustion engine, securing the ignition of the sulphur and leading away the oxides of sulphur formed.

9. The process of producing oxides of sulphur which comprises introducing sul hur and a combustion supporting gas into a c osed chamber in which combustion is e'ected under conditions adapted to produce an increased pressure within the chamber.

' 10. The process of producing oxides of sulphur which comprises introducing sul hur and a combustion supporting gas into a c osed chamber and effecting the combustion of the sulphur therein at a velocity characteristic of an explosion.

11. The process of producin oxides of sulphur which comprises intro ucing the sulphur and a combustion supporting gas into a closed chamber, effecting the combustion of the sulphur therein and expanding the combustion gases adiabatically whereby a cooling effect is secured. -v

12. The process of producing oxides of sulphur lwhich comprises introducing 'sulphur and a combustion supporting gas into a closed 13. The process of producing oxides of sulphur which comprises introducing the sulphur together with a combustion supporting. Vgas into the working cylinder of an internal combustion engine, securing ignition of the sulphur when the charge in the engine cyl, inder is at high pressure, permitting the combustion products to expand and exhausting the combustion products in the cylinder.

l14. The process of producing oxides of sulphur which comprises introducing' sulphur together with a lcombustion supporting gas into the cylinder of an internal combustion engine, in which operates a reciprocating piston, igniting the sulphur while the su p ur and combustion supporting gasA are-under high' .compression, allowing the resulting combustion gases to expand whereby the piston performs its power stroke, causing the direction of motion ofiahe piston to be reversed and thereby expelling the combustion gases from the cyhnder.

15. The process'of producing oxides of suling gas in the engine cylinder,v allowing the phur which comprises introducing sulphur combustion products to expand with resultand a combustion supporting'gas into the cylant motion of the piston in one direction and 10 inder of an internal combustion engine oppermitting the gases to escape while the pis- 5 erating on the four-stroke cycle, ignitin the ton moves in the reverse direction.

sulphur when the piston has compresse the In testimony whereof, I aix m signature. charge of sulphur and combustion support- JOI-IVN C. BOE TLEIN. 

